The present invention generally relates to sporting equipment and, more particularly, to elastic coverings for skis, snowboards, and the like.
Snow skiing is very popular in the United States and throughout the world. Similarly, snowboarding has seen a tremendous rise in popularity over the last few years. Since most people do not live at the location where the terrain and weather are conducive for such activities, participants of these sports usually have to travel to a ski resort in order to engage in these sports, which also necessitates the transport of their sporting equipment to the resorts. Furthermore, the participants still have to carry their equipment to and from the ski slopes.
Snow skis are high performance articles of sporting equipment and are therefore usually relatively expensive. Furthermore, snow skis are also somewhat delicate, especially with regard to keeping their various surfaces and edges in optimal condition for skiing. It is therefore essential that the skis be protected from physical harm while they are being transported. But, because of their awkward lengths, shape, and cutting edges, protecting the skis during transit prove to be a challenge.
Ski bags of various designs are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,762 to Goodwin et al. discloses a bag for transporting skis, ski poles and the like. The bag is formed from a matching pair of side panels of indoor-outdoor carpet material and a strip of nylon edge reinforcing tape stitched together along two sides and one end of the side panels. The bags also includes a nylon wrapping handle to facilitate carrying and a metal ring to permit hanging the bag for drying or storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,355 to Wymore et al. discloses a protective container for snow skis having an elongated body with inner and outer wall members fabricated of a pliable material. The wall members are retained in spaced-apart relationship by a resiliently deformable cushion member placed thereinbetween, with the inner wall defining a compartment for receipt of a set of snow skis. On the whole, ski bags such as those described above are bulky and heavy. As a result, they cannot conveniently be carried by a skier while skiing and a safe place must be found for storing the ski covers or bags when not in use.
Smaller and relatively lightweight devices for transporting a pair of skis are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,678 to Mayfield discloses a ski sleeve, which is designed to fit over the tip of a ski at either end. The ski sleeves have integral hook and loop fasteners which may be used to secure the ski sleeve to the ski. This design, however, fits over only a single ski and leaves the bulk of that ski, as well as the other ski in the pair, completely unprotected. U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,287 to Champenois, Jr. discloses a protective covering for a snow ski binding which includes a weatherproof sheet that is wrapped around the bindings of a pair of skis and then secured thereto by means of an integral hook and loop fastener. This design also leaves a large expanse of the skis completely unprotected. U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,689 to Kohls discloses a foldable ski cover including an elongated bag having two compartments for receiving an individual ski in each compartment. The bag is made from a flexible, waterproof material and includes several reclosable fasteners attached thereto. This waterproof material will tend to trap dirt and debris therein after use with dirty skis, wherein such debris can only be removed with difficulty. Furthermore, skis are manufactured and sold in widely varying lengths, and the positioning of the fasteners on this prior art bag may be awkward when used with certain ski lengths. U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,323 to McConnell discloses a ski sock which is made from a stretchable material and configured to receive a pair of skis. Additionally, the sock includes an elastic band for closure at an inlet end, a closed opposite end, and handles and straps for carrying the skis together. The ski sock fits snugly about and completely covers both skis. The interior surface of this sock is coated with a dry, slick-film to facilitate insertions and removal of skis from the ski sock. The slick surface, being an applied coating, is subjected to wear and will have to be re-applied in order to maintain its slickness.
Like skis, snowboards are expensive, high performance articles of sporting equipment, and it is essential that the snowboard be protected from physical harm while it is being transported. The inventor is unaware of any prior art designs for protecting snowboards while they are being transported. Additionally, because of their width, snowboards are usually carried up the ski slope by snowboarders holding the edge of the snowboard under their arms with their gloved hands. On many occasions, the sharp edges of the snowboard cut into the gloves, damaging the gloves and dulling the edge of the snowboard in the process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide flexible lightweight bags for the transportation of equipment for snow skiing and snowboarding, which completely enclose the equipment being transported in order to prevent damage to the equipment, and in turn prevent the sharp edge of the equipment from damaging surrounding articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective covering for alpine sport equipment, e.g., skis and snowboard, that is durable, and capable of localizing the damage if it is damaged.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide coverings for alpine sports equipment which are made from a material having a low coefficient of friction, thus enabling the covering to slide easily over the equipment during placement.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a covering for alpine sports equipment from which dirt and debris may easily be removed after each use.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following written description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention generally relates to protective coverings having removable fasteners for alpine sports equipment, in particular, snow skis and snowboards and the like. The protective covering is made from a flexible, stretchable, elastic, washable, and water-permeable fabric. This fabric has a low coefficient of friction on at least one surface and is oriented that the low coefficient of friction surface faces into the interior of the protective coverings. This low friction surface allows the elastic covering to easily be drawn over the snowboard notwithstanding its tight fit. Generally, the protective covering is formed into an elongated tube, similar in configuration to a sock, and is available in different sizes to accommodate either skis or snowboards (sporting equipment). The sporting equipment is inserted into its appropriate protective covering, which stretches to fit snuggly over the sporting equipment and its associated bindings. The length of the protective covering, in conjunction with its elastic nature, allow the protective covering to completely cover the sporting equipment having varying lengths. The open end of the protective covering includes integral straps for tying the end closed after the sporting equipment has been placed therein. Removable fasteners are provided and are placed on strategic locations along the protective covering and securely affix the protective covering to the sporting equipment.
In one form of the invention, a protective covering for skis, snowboards and the like is disclosed, comprising a protective covering for alpine sport equipment, comprising a first elongated material piece formed from a flexible, elastic, water-permeable fabric, the fabric has a low coefficient of friction on at least one surface, a second elongated material piece formed from the fabric, wherein the first and second material pieces are coupled together along three respective sides, thereby forming an opening at a fourth side and defining a cavity; and wherein the surface having a low coefficient of friction faces into the cavity.
In another form of the invention, a ski covering is disclosed, comprising an elongated bag having an opening and an inside surface defining an interior cavity, the bag formed from a flexible, elastic, water-permeable fabric, the fabric having a low coefficient of friction on both first and second surfaces, the first surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the second surface and oriented with the lower coefficient of friction surface forming the inside surface of the interior cavity; the interior cavity is adapted to receive a pair of skis.
In another form of the invention, a snowboard covering is disclosed, comprising an elongated bag having an opening and an inside surface defining an interior cavity, the bag formed from a flexible, elastic, water-permeable fabric, the fabric having a low coefficient of friction on both first and second surfaces, the first surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the second surface and oriented with the lower coefficient of friction surface forming the inside surface of the interior cavity; the interior cavity is adapted to receive a snowboard.
In another form of the invention, a method of covering a snowboard having bindings thereon is disclosed, comprising the steps of: a) providing an elongated bag having an opening, means for closing the opening, an inside surface defining an interior cavity, the bag formed from a flexible, elastic, water-permeable fabric, the fabric having a low coefficient of friction on both first and second surfaces, the first surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the second surface and oriented with the lower coefficient of friction surface forming the inside surface of the interior cavity, the interior cavity is adapted to receive a snow board; b) standing the snowboard on one end; c) inserting the snowboard into the bag through the opening; d) pulling the bag down over the snowboard through the opening into the interior cavity such that the snowboard are completely enclosed therein; e) closing the means for closing; f) providing one removable fastener adapted to removably enclose the snowboard against the bag near the opening; and g) applying the one removable fastener around the bag and the snowboard such that the excess lengths of bag are firmly held and not free to flap during transport.
In another form of the invention, a method of covering a pair of skis having bindings thereon is disclosed, comprising the steps of: a) providing an elongated bag having an opening, means for closing the opening and an inside surface defining an interior cavity, the bag formed from a flexible, elastic, water-permeable fabric, the fabric having a low coefficient of friction on both first and second surfaces, the first surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the second surface and oriented with the lower coefficient of friction surface forming the inside surface of the interior cavity; the interior cavity is adapted to receive a snow board; b) standing the pair of skis on end; c) inserting the skis into the bag through the opening; d) pulling the bag down over the skis through the opening into the interior cavity such that the skis are completely enclosed therein; e) closing the means for closing; f) providing at least one removable fastener adapted to removably enclose the skis; and g) applying the at least one removable fastener around the bag and the skis such that the skis are firmly held in contact with one another.